WORK stor ROBIN ALLEN-SINCLAIR Pride in Workmanship means Pride of Ownership As George Stevens says—“More Tournaments are won in the WORK SHOP than on the shooting line.” —from Robert Gannons COMPLETE BOOK OF ARCHERY . Maxy Cuossnowatex are as intrigued by the designing and making of this fascinating weapon as by its actual use. And, its use is greatly enhanced by the fact that they have made it themselves. So hopefully this chapter will be of assistance to the builder and, perhaps, the designer. We recommend, however, that for a FIRST Crosshow the builder stay exactly with a set of plans. We have found too often, that a change to what nuty look advisable upsets some other unconsidered feature, SO. STAY WITH THE PLANS FOR YOUR FIRST CROSSBOW. The stock is very little of a problem to anyone with reasonable tool experience, Making a how, however, is apt to be a problem and we would recommend consideration, before you start. What do you want the bow for? What type of bow,material, ete. If you are familiar with archery, we had better point out that due to the Crossbow’s short draw, double the handhow’s power should he your estimate.- WORK SHOP The Target or Tournament bow usually draws between fifty and seventy pounds. Since it is dhawn by hand, the exertion will allect the shooter in the prolonged use at Tournaments, But with light, small dia. meter arrows, no great thrust is required. The Hunting bow should definitely top 100 pounds. This is no great item, as only infrequent shoot- ing is apt to occur. On the larger game such as moose about 150 pounds draw is desirable. See the Chapter on Hunting. Commercial bow limbs are available® and with that in mind we will dimension a center section (riser) for your stock mounting and the at- taching of the bow limbs, a block of xeod bard wood such as maple 1 1/2" thick by 6 wide, or the th of the bow limbs, “A” Dado out width of the stock, 1/2" deep. ‘Then saw cnt in ak approximately 15 degrees as shown at X-¥ should be about 2/3 of the thickness of the bow limb butt. Bpoxy the how limbs in pltce and grind off the projecting, comers level with fhe maple block. Drill and holt the metal plate on as shown, Laying it out om paper feet will help in establishing angles, ete.WORK Sti PYPES OF BOW LIMBS AND STRING NOCKS. RECURVED TIPS SEML-RECURVE RECURVE tohu Fortman Js. of Pilot Grove, Mo., demon- sthites the use of a Bracing String in steinging bis See drawing at right.) Crossbow ‘The Bracing String is made just slightly Jonyer than the bow, for ease in attach- ing and is drawn into the lock to hold the bow bent while the real string (black) is secured. Fig. A shows the quite Jarge eyes of the Bracing String secure in the wide nocks below the real nocks, for bending the bow. The real string is then easily secured and the cing String let down and removed. Fig. B shows the Nocks in the reverse position to Fig. A and the Real String is first slipped over one end and then the other of the Low tips. The Bracing | String is then inserted in the outer eyes ANY Bow, Both Limbs Must be Bent fo, bending the bow and the Real vod from as near the TIPS as Possible. String worked out into its nocks. THE STRAIGHT SOLID CLASS BOWWORK S110 THE MODERN STEEL BOW Designed for a 18-1 2” Draw Length iF i ery A BLANK OF QUALITY SPRING STEEL 80” x 1-8 4” IS CUT TO THE SHAPE SHOW! Thickness .157” for 100 Ib. Bow ‘Thickness .187” for 140 Ib. Bow 2 bei THE ENDS ARE HEATED AND 2-1 2” HAMMERED THINNER AND WIDER ie ) HEATED ENDS ARE Cl 2VED OVER AN ANVIL HORN, AND A SHORT LENCTH OF I 4”°ROD WELDEDON AS, \ SHOWN TEMPER TO —RC, 43-46 & BRN, 295-305 aN aa \ HEAVY 10 oz. CANVASS IS CUT TO SHAPE AND TAPED. ‘TO THE COMPRESSION SIDE ‘THE STEEL BLANK may be cut with a hi-speed hack saw blade, or, if a ‘good torch man is available, with a torch. In either case, the edges are ground smooth and both limbs matched exactly. When this is done, grind all edges rounded to prevent small fractures from starting. Tn. hammering out and bending the tips, do not use white heat, ‘The 1 1/2” radius given does not need to be exact, but both tips MUST be the same, The short length of 1/4” rod should be well filled around its base and ground out smooth for string contact. Again, see that both are the same. Using the bow as a template, trace to within 3” of the tips on 10 oz, canvass. Cut just sightly narrower than the bow and apply SERETCHED to bow with a thin layer of Elmers glue, taping it down with 8/4” plastic tape, angle to overlap about ous al ts own width as shown. ‘THE STRING for bracing this bow is made 1/4” longer than the REAL string with 4” eyes, into which the metal clips shown at left are booked. {See page 152 on using a Braciag String.) HOOKS FOR BRACING STRINGVORK STOR stilitary (Medieval) bowmount. The side orackets are heavy, nicely shaped wrought- ron. An equestrian type stirrup also provides \ tie-strap to hold the brackets from spread- ag, which in turn, securely fastens the stir rup. The wedges that draw up the assembly we painted black on the drawing for em- shasis. A somewhat similar system of brackets is used on our heavy Hunting bows. ‘The brack- ets, however, are drawn tight with bolts as shown. A separate tie-strap holds the brack- ets from spreading. And a “I” iron stirrup accommodates both of the shooter's feet, allowing 2 more centered draw on the bow string, Variations of the Bailey bowmount are quite ppular. ‘The mortice for the bow is reen- Foeed by side plates, Since often of wood, we wonld recommend plywood. The bow is tightened from undemeath with thumb screws or wing-nuts to pull a stout block up against a fitted wedge as shown, The side plates cover the wedge. The wedge bow fightener’ dates from early Chinese to the present. ‘The “ iron stirrup is rnade from a three and one-half inch piece of 8/8" gas pipe welded across the end of a length of 3/16" x 8/4” strap iron, Another good Target how mount is shown with bolt tighteners, Particularly if the bow fs glass, it must he protected from the bolts by aluminum or solid blocks as shown, The metal side plates shown are not necessa unless very heavy bows are used, in whic case the plates Should be riveted to’ each other to prevent any chance of the stock splitting, A front sight post is indicated.Se SEIS: © TIE SPOOL LOCK, suerated above, seems to have been smiver- sally wsrl on te heey Medieval bows; Due tothe geet sii 0 pivot pin see weal Tre spon fitted singly int it mostice ad a Erleased hy 2 lng tippuag-bar for leverage. The spools were made {rary the hel hase af Stag antlers o Ivory with an inserted wedge ‘of Met for sear contact ALHEAVY DUTY LOCK made for 1/4" steel thls ene finger look far piven aver twenty years of trovble fre aperation. The tripping tape gue es aoa leverage er ex operation wth teas bows the Conow lock i setnted by the full power af the owe pot aight Th spring at ma gum Lacks mst be designed seh hat a ind SAPETY FIRST. AN OVERIEAD LOCK desig, The string is drawn with the fas ‘open which lose down over the seins hy the shooter's thumb, ea WITH THE MUCH LIGHTER BOWS in we tly, many ingen ss locks have been develope. The placement of pent ps take ‘hantage of lveoge give easier flee A stbath rigger and Sting relate ave highly dese ht for safety they shoo wot be {oo eur, oF of & harlrgger pe AONE PIECE LOCK {gatented). While not set proven out sith the heavy bows, it has heen thoroughly tsted an Target weapons, and has been found 4 smooth waxy performer. Sings n working pats are needed except forts pivot, it can he ride from 3 ight seta sch as slam. Tis sascemfel operation depends on the lvoe being above the latch, and the detent aooting forwerd at bout an angle equal to perpendictlar to its sais [coe the pivot THE HARRY L. RATLEY LOCK. ‘x cay tage bow Toc, tenons of ‘hich are alton fn we today. twat 2 tws fingered ito allow the a ovr but contact the aeng, Uses Jy today it teased wih 2 cover to op the ing fa ing Sear contacts fa Wat type Tock ‘oud be ease hardenedWorK SILOP, PLANS an “How-to-Make,” all emphasize the sgidity of the basal portion, even to heasily laminated fore-stocks ond the necesste of 3 perfectly stuight arow groove, The drasing st loft strates the essentials of the author's two-point suspen lon groove. The ¥ filerlock A is shshtly grooved to take the ‘wow butt and is set fm the feather V slot about 1/16" helow Be bacrel surface, The forward asrow rest spares may be made of 116" plastic, mortioed fish, These al che batt block A aze carefully adjusted to place the arzow center ot ating height (Preferred contact is helow the arvow center.) The forward positioning plates are adjusted to hold the strow ip slighely devated~only enough s0 the eye can detect i. Since his Bolts are éssentilly halflength longbow arrows, rater jigs md oer equipment ene really aves fo he Croashownan, The stow but steered to asthe “nock” not however commer item. The author Is thowing foliar to ths portant prom, “Aight Fort Orford code shat is tat down to fast te alumi orgs halting ond et nto 2 lenge a MAL ‘This is inserted into the shaft to about a full 1/8” below the tad of at B Three-quarter Inch making top fe then fled enteflly around the end to project 1/4" bove, Fig, C. This Is Aled nth sow drying Epoty Que (Fig. D) and awed to set vertically. When thoroughly hardened, the tape fe removed tnd the Epoxy ground down o fat mrface af at Bf one * wishes, opposing sides ere champhered to form a vertial (with the cock feather) butt, or nocking surface, as at F, Another sug: feston ito il the hollow ond of the fet pots with iter lead or epoxy in 2 Jengts of metal ed for better arrow balance. A sleuple ssing-boaed {6 x 40") may be drilled to take four 20d nails, the ends of which aro well rounded and polished: {Insert the nail from the bottom of the board. B and C ate across one end. A and B are along one side, the distance between A-B fs your string length. Thon, centered on Band, a litle farther cut than A, place D. This latter point is to stretch your string for serving. ‘The. use of 2 heavy rubber, band will give you enough tension: After the string strands are coiled on AB for length, they are transferred over B and C, and stretched tight to D for serving what will be the string’: “Eye,” between B and C. This serving wilt then be centered around B and, siretched to D and the serving continued around BOTH for a short distatuce forming the eye, Now reverse the ends of the string and repeat the serving. The string is then stretched by its feyor and a conter section served. You should use only paratin fon the center serving. ‘The commercial “ground base” feather can be Improved considerably for gluing by inserting a length in one of the larger paper clips and carelully grinding down the vane agefnst ‘a sander. [is well to insert a bevelled ength of wood. as fn one side of the clip against which the curled side of the feather rests to hold it perpendicular,‘WORK SHOP 9 (io Weg 1 _————— 0 —+4 534" COCKING LEVER (The Modern Goat’s Foot) ‘The overall dimensions given are those used for the author's Hunting Cross- bow. The lever is hooked over the “T” stirrup crossbar. In making one for your stock it will be necessary to ent some thin lath and mark all the dimen- sions to be sure of a working ft. See photo of use on page 113. Some Crossbows have a very disturbing jar or rebound. This can be elirnin- ated by a slight squeeze on the string on its travel forward from brace Make fue fron x 1 28° bog steal a shown Morton ta fesh on tk ‘and check for arrow vane interference. See eross section drawing. A Suggested Type of Simple Carving = feta